Kids Don't Need More Instruction. They Need More Permission.
There's a kid who stands at the door of every new class at our North Perth studio for about thirty seconds before they walk in.
Not scared exactly. Just checking.
Checking what the rules are, what's allowed, whether there's a right way to do this that everyone else already knows and they're about to get wrong in front of a room full of strangers.
There's an adult who does the exact same thing at our Kalamunda studio. We just don't call it standing at the door. We call it "I haven't painted since Year 9" or "I'm really not the creative one" or the classic, said while already holding a paintbrush: "I'm just going to watch for this one."
Ten years of running art classes for Perth kids and adults, across both our studios, and that's the thing we keep coming back to. It's not a teaching technique. It's not a better brush or a fancier paint. It's permission.
Permission to pick whichever colour you want, not the one that "makes sense."
Permission to get it wrong and have that be completely fine, because there was never a wrong to begin with.
Permission to sit this one out for two minutes and then quietly climb back in without anyone making a thing of it.
Permission to be a total beginner in a room full of people who were all beginners once too, most of them not that long ago.
We built a few things into both studios specifically to protect that permission, because it turns out it's easy to accidentally take away.
One kid's painting never gets held up next to another's. Not as a compliment, not as a gentle correction, not even said kindly. We don't do it, full stop. The moment art becomes a competition, half the room decides they've already lost and stops trying.
Nobody's painting gets thrown out for being "not very good." We physically cannot bring ourselves to do it. There's a wall at the North Perth studio that's basically just proof of this.
And every class, every single term for ten years, starts with beginners.
That's not a bug in the system. That's the whole system.
If you've been putting off a Perth art class because you think everyone else will already know what they're doing, we can tell you with total confidence that at least a few of them are having the exact same thought about you.
Here's the part that surprised us the most, though. It's not only the kids who need to hear this. The mums standing at the edge of the room while their kid paints, half-watching, half-checking emails, are usually the ones who need it most. You're allowed a seat at the table too, not just the plastic chair in the carpark. Creativity doesn't stop mattering the day you turn eighteen, and a hobby doesn't have to make you any money to be worth doing. Sometimes it can just be yours, for an hour, once a week, ten minutes from home in North Perth or Kalamunda.
So if you've been sitting on the fence about trying a class, either for your kid or for yourself, here's our actual pitch: come for four weeks. Four classes, no pressure to sign up for anything longer, no expectation you'll suddenly become someone who "does art" now. Just four sessions to find out whether the permission thing works on you too.
That's the whole idea behind Creative & Confident in 28 Days (and its grown-up cousin, Rediscover Your Creativity in 28 Days, champagne included if you go the adult route).
You show up. We'll take care of the part where you're allowed to be bad at it.
Have a look at both versions and find your class at faireandco.com/offer.
Both run out of our studios in North Perth and Kalamunda, so this one's for Perth families and Perth adults who can actually get through our door.
Not in Perth? You don't have to miss out completely
We get a fair few messages from people who love the idea of all this but live nowhere near North Perth or Kalamunda. Good news: we're building a way to bring the same permission-to-create philosophy to people outside Perth, so you don't need to live around the corner from us to get in on it.
Pop your details on the Art From Anywhere waitlist here and you'll be first to know when it opens.
Quick questions Perth parents ask us
Do I need any art experience to join a class in Perth? No. Every class, every term, starts with total beginners. That's true whether you're signing your kid up or joining yourself.
Where are your studios? Two locations: North Perth and Kalamunda. Both run kids' classes, adult classes, and the 28-day intro offer.
What if we're not in Perth? Join the Art From Anywhere waitlist above and we'll let you know the moment there's a way to join in from wherever you are.
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